What's In a Name?
by Veilrony
Summary: After a new clan, FlameClan, starts attacking ThunderClan, Moondust's mother is killed. She decides not to follow the traditional way and mourns on her own. But taking a quick detour, she discovers the dark river, the moonpool for the Dark Forest. Her life is never the same.
1. Prologue

The dark brown tabby smiled. This was the fight. If anything, ThunderClan was going to pay. Pay for its injustices against his clan. Four clans. Phht. The dark brown cat climbed up to the top of the dead oak, looking his own cats in their eyes. They all gleamed like the moon was in them. The tom, whose own green eyes shimmered, cleared his throat. "All of FlameClan." He began.

The cats stopped but looked as though they weren't listening. That was good. Never appear too attentive. "I want to tell you one thing before we light our torches."

The cats again, flicked their ears, but this time stared right back at their leader. "ThunderClan is a clan unlike any other. Rogues, kittypets, loners, the clan is full of them. Half of their warriors live their lives in their own nursery, and more than anything, they have done nothing to disapprove of our clan." He paused. "Fallentail." He snarled.

"Yes, my leader?" The white she-cat said, putting a paw to her ear.

"Remember Oakwhisker? Remember what happened to him?" The leader's black feet shuffled on the cold stone.

"ThunderClan killed him." His deputy spat. "And you say they're weak."

The tom nodded. "They are far weaker than you imagine. When we burn down everything that we are, and I mean everything, then they will learn to respect the clan of fire. They will learn to understand that we are not to be fucked around with. And they will never look at a single one of their oh-so-precious trees and think how lucky hey are to be of their clan."

"No!" An apprentice, Coldpaw, shouted. His blue eyes shone just like his sister's. ThunderClan killed Icepaw too.

"Oh no, Coldpaw. They will realize that they have no rights at all to help the other clans. They will realize they're the weakest link of the five clans. Not four, five." He sneered, curling his lips at the half moon that shone overhead. "And tonight, FlameClan, will be the best time to attack. For now, there will be no medicine cats to help them."

There was silence for a moment in the abandoned camp, and then one voice started to call. It was quiet in the beginning, but then the rest of the clan seemed to catch on. The cats, young and old, all began to look at eachother. "Fangstar, Fangstar!" They shouted, the sounds getting louder and louder between the clan. Then there was silence once more. The clan was one mind, and one giant weapon. The crackle of a flame starting, the ritual of lighting the torch, was starting.

"FlameClan!" Fangstar shouted, baring the teeth for which he was named. Sharper than claws, they were visible even when his mouth was closed.

The clan followed suit. "FlameClan!"

Moondust... What a lovely name. The brand new warrior took a greedy glance at a vole, but didn't dare eat it. It would be better for the queens and elders to have it. She hopped up onto the camp, remembering what Ivystar had said. Tell her if any cats are seen. Times were tense these days, even with all the clans. ShadowClan still held a grudge, even though the last time they had helped one another was back in the time of Bramblestar. With Windclan, Crowstar, though an old leader, was still finding his way into the new ranks behind the pawsteps of Ashstar, and as a result was far more aggressive than any cat she had heard of. And for Riverclan, the new Hawkstar was keeping to his own, and was seeming to strike a very fine alliance for the leader of ShadowClan, Dawnstar.

Nonetheless, the she-cat looked on. In th half-moon light, she saw nearly nothing in the dark. It frightened her. Her black fur bristled, highlighted by cool moonlight. Her silver tailtip twitched. The stick of fallen warriors, more scratched on in the last few moons than when she was a kit, lay in the center of camp. Cats were all fine and asleep, content in whatever dreams they were keeping.

A new apprentice, Coffee, was watching her intently. Moondust stiffened under the cat's bright green gaze, but then heard the ex-kittypet's footsteps into the apprentice den.

Moondust still looked around. She shuffled around uncomfortably, and then started to circle the outside of the camp. She couldn't speak. This was her warrior's vigil, and she needed to keep watch. Protect her clan. Just this one night. ThunderClan would be safe under her gaze.

She felt little prickles of pride in that. She, Moondust of ThunderClan, was the only cat keeping watch over the camp. If only greencough hadn't taken away Sparrowpaw and Stonepaw, then she would be able to sit with her siblings during the vigil. She took a look at the sky, dappled in shimmering stars. Maybe they'd be happy in StarClan.

A crack of a twig. Moondust swiveled her head. Nobody was there. Then she heard the sounds of crackling. She didn't know what it was. She'd never heard it before. She saw bright lights flickering red, orange, and yellow. There was green starting to form in the heat of the light. Burning heat started emanating from it. Moondust started to sweat. Her blue eyes started to reflect the substance that danced its way down the trail, and then she saw the eyes. They were lit brightly, glaring down Moondust. She heard a cat laugh, and Moondust shrank in her black pelt.

"Flames, flames, fire..." They started to chant. She heard their pawsteps, and then more coming from all directions. Then she remembered. Ivystar. Moondust started running down in the shadows of the night, hoping that the cats hadn't seen her. No cat used that. It wasn't in StarClan's ways. Then she remembered what the light was. Fire. Moondust looked into the den. "Ivystar!" She whispered. "It's the camp. We're being attacked by cats with fire!"

There was a yowl. "FlameClan, attack!"

More cats yowled from all directions. They were surrounded.

It seemed the camp left its sleepy stupor. Cats were getting out of their dens, eyes wider than the lake itself. Then there were returning yowls from the rest of the ThunderClanners. Moondust looked at Ivystar, whose eyes were opening. She leaped to her feet, and the white and grey cat ran out of her den. "ThunderClan!" She shouted, blue eyes blazing.

Moondust started running out of the camp, looking around for her mother, the only cat dear to her now. She saw her mother, Amberstorm, being dragged off by a dark brown tabby with a flaming branch in his jaws. She fought fiercely, yowling as she clawed and scratched at his face, but the large tom didn't seem to be phased. He dropped his stick for a moment. "Warriors, prepare the sticks." He said, calmly, coolly. He picked his fire-stick up again, and dropped Amberstorm. She tried running away, but was pinned down by the tom. Amberstorm stared, wide-eyed.

Moondust shook the bystander effect off. She started padding on, trying to keep the idea in her mind. She was fighting for her mother. Moondust leaped, grabbing the tom by his scruff. The yowls of fighting cats rang in her ears, and then she saw a horrible sight. An elder, Icecloud, shouted loudly. The white cat was no longer recognizable. She was a ball of screaming flame with nothing to douse her. She then collapsed, screaming until there was no more.

The tom shook her off, and Moondust stayed still in her shock. She couldn't even think. These cats burned others alive. Icecloud, the cat who told stories to her since she was a kit, was now a pile of ash.

"You, are going to stay alive. Coldpaw, keep her down." He said cooly. "And for you, I can tell that that's your mother. Well, just for that, I want you alive." Moondust felt a paw over her head, and then blackness. The sounds of horrific battle died away, and then she had no thoughts.


	2. Amberstorm

Amberstorm. Oh Amberstorm. Moondust hung her head, remembering the best of times with her mother. Icecloud, Stormcloud, and Cherryfall were lost. Dovewing sighed,and Moondust wished that she would be able to help. But that was the tradition. Elders dug the graves, not the warriors.

She then saw the silver shape of Stormcloud, the tom glancing out at nothing, bright yellow eyes was being drug out by Snowfall, her uncle. Moondust blinked blue eyes, and the looked back into the camp. Amberstorm's body was there, and Moondust was her kit, not whichever warrior was going to be taking her out. It didn't matter if it was Dewtail bringing her out either. Something in her wanted, yet didn't want, to carry her out. It was if it was her duty. Hunting meant nothing if she could not see her mother out on the final steps to StarClan.

She saw Ivystar smiling at the dead body. A sad, bitter smile. She looked out to the sky, and Moondust stood still for a moment. She forgot that Ivystar was Amberstorm's neice. Moondust still walked forward though. "Ivystar?" Moondust asked. It was her first words after the vigil, now that it was dawn. She wanted to sound brave and calm, but the sight of her mother's body nearly burnt to ashes was enough to make any cat's voice small, tiny, and weak.

The gray and white tabby blinked in surprise. "Yes, Moondust?" Her fur shone in the dawn sunlight.

"I'd like to…" Moondust breathed in, trying to avoid the sight of her mother. "I'd like to carry Amberstorm's body out." She didn't want to explain.

Ivystar blinked, the leader looking dignified and calm. "I understand, Moondust, It was the same with Whitewing." Ivystar backed away, the cat's eyes dull and milky.

Moondust walked forwards and grabbed the cat's scruff. Her fur was nearly burnt off completely and the skin red and blistered. Moondust blinked back a tear for her mother. She was unrecognizable, that was the only thing distinguishing her from the scratched and bitten to death bodies of Stormcloud and Icecloud. Oh, mother. She thought. It shouldn't be this hard. But maybe it should. It showed she was a normal warrior. Not emotionless, but normal. Maybe normal was good.

Maybe she should just live a normal life. She thought, as she plodded on. Her mother's body left ashes behind it.

Then what would it mean? Would her mother die for nothing? She died defending her clan from those barbarians. Maybe Moondust should do the same. Die defending her, clan, but maybe more. Then it seemed a newfound ambition started to spark in her. She should die defending her clan, while leading it into battle.

She would be the one to land the killing blow on Fangstar, the leader of that so-called clan. She'd land the killing blow on him nine times if that was what it took. She hopped up the last rock of the quarry, narrowing her eyes angrily. Fangstar would have to pay.

She looked at the holes, two of them filled with Icecloud and Stormcloud's bodies. She gave one last look at her mother's face. Her eyes were empty sockets, melted away by the fire. How painful would it have been in that fire? How much would it have hurt her to see her claws, skin, fur, even her eyes burn away?

She blinked back a tear, dropping her mother's body into the grave. It took nearly a second before the body landed with a thud. Moondust closed her eyes, and then walked away from the rosemary and sage being sprinkled over the bodies. It didn't matter. Amberstorm wouldn't ever smell of death, only ashes.

Ivystar stepped out of the hollow, sneaking a surprised glance at Moondust. "Aren't you going to sit vigil?"

Moondust didn't respond. She couldn't be seen in front of all these cats. Well, ThunderClan was dwindling, so it was a small group to be seen in front of. She again, just couldn't explain.

Ivystar took her tail and put it in front of Moondust. Her blue eyes shone. "Tell me, Moondust. I'm your leader."

"If I want to honour my mother's death.." She began. She looked around, wondering what else to say. "I want to do it on my own." Moondust started padding forwards, feeling anger for no good reason at all.

"Amberstorm wasn't only your mother. She was Dovewing and I's aunt, Dewtail and Snowfall's sister, and Hollycall, Sorrelfoot, and Fernwhisker's Cousin. Don't go skulking off in the shadows. Amberstorm is not your pain, she's the entire clan's pain." Ivystar glared at Moondust, who glared right didn't respond. She just needed to be alone. That was all. Ivystar wouldn't chase her. She would stick to the old, restrictive ways of old ThunderClan,sitting vigil for her lost clanmate with the others. Tears flowing freely. She started trotting through the woods, trying to think of her mother.

It took only a few minutes before the running started making her mind stray.

Ugh. Moondust was too proud to sit there, crying in front of the clan. She was her own cat. Not just another ThunderClan warrior. She'd prove them all she could be different, and excel at being a loyal warrior in the same time. Starting with her mother's vigil...

Moondust shook her head. She was trailing on and on. She should keep her mind on one thing at a time. She wasn't some high-and-mighty warrior. For now, she ws just Moondust. Ordinary black warrior, high ambition. There were sure to be many warriors before her. Moondust narrowed her eyes. But she would prove her Clan wrong.

Moondust stopped in the territory at the sight of a giant black hole. It was where the dirt mound was once. She lifted her nose. No badger scent, nor fox scent. She blinked. Nothing dug it up. Maybe it got dug away. She narrowed her eyes and curled her lip at the thought it might even be the new clan, 'FlameClan,' that dug it out.

Maybe there were still warriors in that tunnel. She'd get her claws on them. For all they were worth, FlameClan cats better not be in there.

Moondust crouched down into a crouch, and relying on the dawn shadows, crept into the tunnel.  
-

Anddd... Crud. I had no ideas at all Icecloud died. Well, lazy me is lazy. I'm not going back to change it. XD So, how is the story so far? Love to hear. :)


End file.
